House for Archbishop Gomez stirs debate

My story about the archbishop’s house nearing completion has gotten an array of responses.Some did not have a problem with $1.1 million project and noted that it was entirely paid for with private donations pledged before the recession hit last fall. The house is a long overdue, they say, and comparable to residences for other bishops nationwide.

Others were upset. The cost, even if paid for privately, is too high. The archdiocese is laying off 11 employees at the same time. They ask: Why couldn’t Gomez follow his predecessor, former Archbishop Patrick Flores, who lived in the second-floor seminary apartment for 25 years? The house will be ready in July or August — with or without the landscaping and complete furnishings.